It was date night again and I was looking for something different to do. None of the movies in theaters interested me and we had already been to most of the nighttime museums around town. It seemed like a nice night to find a coffee shop and just sit and talk but I wanted to do something more adventurous. Remembering that one of my grandsons was in town I decided to invite him to go to dinner with us. Since I had no idea how to pick one place from the ten thousand restaurants that seem to be on every corner of the Houston area, I punted the ball to him deciding that potluck would be the best way to go. 

We picked him up in the Sugar Land area of town and he suggested that we try a highly rated Indian restaurant not far from the home where he was staying. Aga’s had a 4.8 out of 5 rating so it sounded like a good bet for a dining adventure. Located in a strip mall on Wilcrest Drive, the Indian/Pakistani eatery was brimming with life when we arrived. The atmosphere was electric and parking was difficult to find. Somehow we felt as though we had stumbled upon a happening. 

The dining room at Aga’s is quite large and it seemed as though every table was filled with smiling people munching away on exotic dishes. To our delight our wait was only a couple of minutes before we were seated at a table by the window, an extra treat given the crowd of people that kept arriving in large groups and small. Soon there was a long line and long wait for anyone who came. 

It took a bit of time to read the menu that offered dishes that were unfamiliar to us. We decided to order a sampling of different items to share. We chose vegetable samosas, a kind of deep fried flaky pastry filled with potatoes, and gobi Manchurian, fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy sauce. I thought the BBQ chicken wings sounded tasty and we included a shrimp and rice dish along with some curry and naan bread. For beverages we chose mango ice tea and mango lassi, a mango juice blend with sweet yogurt milk and sugar. We topped off our epicurean excursion with mango mousse for dessert.

Everything about the restaurant was delightful from the friendliness of the staff to the large pitchers of ice water that kept appearing on our table as we tasted the exotic spices of each dish. We quickly learned that any description of a sauce that included the word, spicy, meant that our mouths would soon be burning from the heat of peppers. Our favorite offering ended up being the gobi Manchurian cauliflower which surprised us all. The vegetable samosa was delightful as well with flavors that were so different from anything we had ever experienced. The chicken was hotter than hot, not in terms of temperature but in regard to the level of spice used to prepare it. While it was incredibly delicious none of us were able to consume more than two of the wings without chugging down water to cool our palates. Perhaps it takes time to become accustomed to the ultra spiciness.

While we were there someone was celebrating a birthday and the lively singing from the waiters filled the room with a kind of joy that floated to each table. Meanwhile a vendor of wind-up toy dogs had set up a display just outside our window. There was as much festivity on the sidewalk outside as inside the large dining room. It was a happening for sure that made us smile and feel a sense of pride in our city of Houston that boasts more diversity than any place in the United States. We had found a little corner of Indian culture that made as feel as though we had stumbled upon a rare jewel. 

Nobody rushed us as we talked and laughed and felt infected by the joyful mood of the place. We munched on flavors that our tastebuds had never before encountered and spoke of how much we love our city that welcomes people from all over the world. Our grandson described a website that he is designing and seemed excited about a class he is about to begin to enhance his Computer Engineering degree. He was already communicating with the teacher and some of the other students about what he hopes to accomplish. It delighted me to know that he intends to be a lifelong learner eager to keep honing his craft. 

As we left the crowd of waiting guests had swelled but nobody was out of sorts or pushy. The atmosphere itself was part of the ambiance. Cars were circling the parking lot looking for an available spot. Soon a woman dressed in a sari eagerly stood where our truck had once been while her husband made one more pass to clinch ownership of the coveted spot. He waved and shouted that he “owed us one” as he pulled into the space.

We were delighted with our visit to Afga’s and felt as though we had discovered a not so hidden secret in our great city. I hope to return another time to try some other dishes and to get the feeling of joy that brought so many smiles to our faces. Discovering something new and wonderful is always fun.